Monthly Archives: August 2010

Two men boarded a plane in Chicago and in their luggage was found a mobile phone strapped to a bottle of Pepto-Bismol, several mobile phones strapped together and a number of watches taped together. They were identified as Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al-Soofi and Hezam al-Murisi, but it was unclear from whence they came, let alone where the heck they were going. Soofi said he had about $10,000 on him and was headed to fly from Chicago to Dulles to Amsterdam, but changed plans and headed for Amsterdam. One of the men checked his bags for Yemen, but headed on to Amsterdam. In the modern world in which we live, the worse crime one can commit on a plane is to have bottles or mobile phones or anything taped together because the assumption is one has concocted some new form of weapon.

Have authorities ever considered offering rewards to anyone who can conceive the “perfect plan” to blow up a plane? Perhaps, if we offer money, we can persuade the bomber rather than heading to Heaven, he can head to the racetrack or a casino loaded with money. Just a suggestion.

Ordinarily, a nation that is under attack by rebel elements assumes the posture of defense, but in Afghanistan, it becomes unclear whether Americans are playing defense or offense. General David Petraeus told reporters it is still unclear who has the momentum in the war because, “I would not say we have reversed the momentum in all areas by any means.” According to the general, US, NATO, and Afghan forces “have blunted it(Taliban momentum) but “perhaps the Taliban are still trying to expand.” The famous plan to drive Taliban forces from the important Marjah market town still has not witnessed results he hoped would have been achieved by this point. A basic problem is”with the Taliban fighting back very hard.” Of course, this raises interesting questions regarding what is happening in Afghanistan. A planned offense to gain control of a village has been going on for months and there is still no sign American forces have assumed control of the area.

One is reminded of an old song, “did you ever get the feeling you are going ahead, no, that you are going back, ahead, back.”

During the past two decades the government of North Korea will announce on Monday its desire to have discussions on the topic of nuclear disarmament but on Friday announce beginning of new nuclear tests. The ever mysterious leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK), Kim Song il, shook hands with President Hu Jintao of China and announced his nation was ready to hold talks with other nations about the topic of nuclear disarmament. He insisted there was need for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and appeared to argue he has always been in favor of such steps but has been thwarted by the US, Japan and South Korea. Kim and Hu came across as choir boys trying their best to get recalcitrant Americans and Japanese and South Koreans to focus on peace. The good news is that the Republic of Korea (ROK) has dropped its demand for an apology from North Korea for sinking one of its ships. The dead are dead and now it is time to work toward preventing further death and destruction appears to be the operating mode of thought.

There is some evidence Kim Jong il while in China spent time inspecting ideas for modernization of industry. His nation had to seek aid from China during its recent flooding experience and the failure of its economy to feed the population. Who knows, maybe the DPRK can become OK as a nation.

For the first time in the history of Iran’s judiciary that high-ranking judges have been suspended and this action together with the suspension of Tehran’s former prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, offers hope that brutality may come under the purview of Parliament. The suspension of the prosecutor and two judges on charges they engaged in torture and murder of dissidents who were arrested in last year’s protest against the disputed election of President Ahamadinejad will at least provide comfort to parents of the slain young men and women that justice is moving ahead. Dissidents who were seized on the streets of Tehran were sent to the notorious Kahrizak detention center where girls were raped and boys beaten, sodomized and killed. Included among the dead was the son of an advisor to a defeated candidate for president. Mortazavi was also connected to the death of Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi who died while in custody of Iranian officials. The opposition claims upwards of 71 people arrested wound up dead while in prison.

The good news is an Iranian government thug will be punished. Of course, no one knows what they means in terms of prison time or whether it simply results in words being exchanged. The bad news is for every one suspended there are hundreds still operating brutal prisons and torturing people.

Egypt hardly ranks among the dynamic nations of the world as growing unemployment, a stagnant economy, and thousands of young educated people lack entry into meaningful jobs, but President Hosni Mubarak is convinced his people need Mubarak ideas if they are to remain in a state of inertia. He has decided that his son, Gamal is the right man for the right job of keeping Egypt in the doldrums. Opposition leaders were shocked to learn that a noted supporter of change, sociologist, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, signed a petition which urges the little boy to step up to the plate of power and strike out just as did his father. Ibrahim was among the first prominent intellectuals to urge an end to the Mubarak dynasty, but now he is supporting the son to run which amounts to supporting the next president of Egypt. Shortly before boarding a flight to the US, he defended the decision to sign the petition on grounds all he was doing is affirming the right of anyone to run for public office. “I signed to support his right as a citizen to run, but I don’t endorse him.”

Egypt is NOT a free nation and to imagine petitions asking Gamal to run are part of some democratic process is either naive or stupid. If he runs, he will win, regardless of the vote count. Ibrahim has only provided support for a coming election in which there is only one candidate able to win.

Rosh Hashanah marks a new year for Jewish people throughout the world. In the days leading up to this holy day, individuals are expected to review the past year, identify anything which has led to harm to others and consider ways to atone for this indiscretion. Of course, on Yom Kuppur, Jews inform God of their sins and beg forgiveness for not behaving according to Jewish law and tradition. This year, words of hate, words urging slaughter of innocent Muslims, words insulting those not Jewish, words threatening to halt efforts for peace, words pointing to war and death, have all been too common among many Israel leaders. It is time to walk away from hatred and embrace traditional Jewish values of social justice. It is time for all Jews to reach out to Palestinians and Arabs of the Mideast in order to share our common heritage. We, genetically, are more alike than different.

Rosh Hashanah contains the seeds of a new year, but it also contains the seeds of new ventures and directions for all concerned with securing peace in the Middle East. In bitter discussions which produce hatred and anger we forget that God seeks peace for all his children.

We Americans invented basketball and soon after the initial games were taking place, our basketball ancestors decided they need to liven up the action by having gorgeous girls in short dresses and bouncing boobs run up and down the court to keep minds focused on the court. Any basketball player has the right to gaze for a few seconds to his left and see white panties being displayed. However, at the recent FIBA 2010 World Championship match between Turkey and Russia which was held in the Ankara Arena in Turkey. Russian cheerleaders were told not to show up for the game and keep their panties hidden because Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Erdogan was at the game with his wife who wears a Muslim head covering and is a devout Muslim woman.

I am all for religious freedom and try my best to respect other religions but my basketball religion requires the presence of cute girls twirling their bodies in the air and giving a display of enthusiasm and glimpses of hidden parts of the body. Next time, PM Erdogan, tell the wife to stay home and allow your eyes to enjoy the sight of beautiful scantily clad girls.

“Honey, why are you lying on the floor?”
“I’ve been thinking about our great nation and what these Socialists in Washington have done to our wonderful people.”
“Honey, you’re crying.”
“I know. I’m crying. I’m crying for all those Americans who have been beaten down by the corrupt un-American folk around that guy from Africa. I’m crying for our friends like Marsha and Bill. Did you know if this Obama tax raise goes through, Bill and Marsha will not be able to afford their new $10 million cruiser. Their kids were so looking forward to a trip to South America aboard their dad’s boat, but this Socialist African born Obama will raise taxes on the wealthy.”
“You’re right, honey, it is so unfair in this country to be a millionaire.”
“Damn right. The millionaires of this nation are the new persecuted minority. I was thinking the other day how if Martin Luther King was alive today, he would be fighting for the rights of the wealthy, the folk who made this country great.”
“Did you notice that Bill and Marsha only have four people working for them, they used to have six?”
“See, the wealthy provide jobs, they make sure that people are working. I feel so bad, I just want to lie down and cry and cry.”
“Can’t you do anything, Glenn?”
“I am going to do something, damn it! I am going to organize a Restore America to the Wealthy” program in Washington. Sometimes, I feel so bad inside that I am crying within. I am crying for all the children of wealthy parents who won’t get an airplane for their birthday. I am crying for all the girls of wealthy parents who will not get a $10 million ring and will have to settle for a Wal-Mart style $5 million one. It is so unfair, so damn unfair what we do to the wealthy who made this nation what it is!”
“If only Martin Luther King was alive today!”
“Honey, we are going to celebrate that wonderful man at my rally. We are going to make the world understand that Martin Luther King was the greatest fighter for rights of the oppressed white folk of this nation. He was the only one to stand up against those drugged black murderers and rapists who preyed on white girls. I can not understand how the feeley-touchy white liberals of this country sold the idea King was for black folk. He was a white man inside and knew he had to stand up and defend those who were oppressed by liberal Jews and black traitors. Not that I’m against Jews, but, of course, I wouldn’t want our daughters marrying one.”
“Honey, you are a rare individual. You are the most sensitive man I have ever known.”
“I know. But, I feel some more tears coming on. An image just entered my mind that showed our wonderful patriotic lobbyists being attacked by liberals. God in His infinite wisdom created lobbyists on the 8th day. Damn it, how about a special program entitled: “Stand Up And Defend the Honor of Lobbyists!”
“Honey, you are a jewel, a real Christian.”
“I know that I am. I just want to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ who loved the meek of this earth, the millionaires and lobbyists.”

Tonight, President Obama will inform the American people, that while there is no Mission Accomplished in Iraq, there is a Mission sort of concluded rather than accomplished. He will note that US forces are leaving Iraq and should all be gone–or at least most of them–by the end of 2011. They will leave behind gobs of trucks and other equipment as well as a government that still is in limbo despite having had an election six months ago that no one appears willing to say they won or lost. Let’s get this straight: there is no effective government in the country, there are dozens of people daily being killed by al-Qaeda, the Sunnis and Shiites hate one another and will not cooperate, but we have accomplished something– Saddam Hussein is no longer in charge of the country. Does one get the feeling that we will be going, but not really going or that we will be staying, but not exactly remaining?

He will also note the presence this week in Washington of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. They will meet and talk. Of course, they could just as readily sent transcripts of the last time they “talked.” The only certainty about Israel-Palestinian meetings is that NO MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

It seems these days a good old fashioned arms dealer can’t even get an even break, particularly when your name is Viktor Bout. The USA wants to extradite him from Thailand in order to place him on trial for smuggling weapons and Bout (the man) says it is unfair to send him west where the deck is stacked and he doesn’t even have the option of paying bribes to wipe out the charges. Bout, who goes by the nickname of the “Merchant of Death” was caught in an American-Thai sting operation and he fears going to the US. His only hope rests with the Russian government which does not wish one of their prominent citizens to appear in an American court and testify about who he paid off or even if he was working for some group or government. There are indications if he winds up in America there is a deal on the table –in exchange for going to jail, supply the names of those with whom he worked. Naturally, Bout denies ever having dealt in arms and insists he heads a company which sells weapons on the open market.

The likelihood of Bout actually ever going to jail is rather remote. He knows too much and there are people in high places who will make certain the mouth of this man is silenced before he can speak the truth about smuggling weapons.